# Claire Baker

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Scottish Labour politician (born 1971)

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Claire Baker MSP Official portrait, 2026 Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife (1 of 7 Regional MSPs) Incumbent Assumed office 3 May 2007 Scottish Labour portfolios 2014–2016 Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs 2016–2017 Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Justice 2017–2023 Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Culture Personal details Born Claire Josephine Brennan (1971-03-04) 4 March 1971 (age 55) Dunfermline, Scotland Party Scottish Labour Co-operative Spouse Richard Baker

**Claire Josephine Baker** (née Brennan; born 4 March 1971) is a [Scottish Labour](/source/Scottish_Labour) politician who has served as a [Member of the Scottish Parliament](/source/Member_of_the_Scottish_Parliament) (MSP) for the [Mid Scotland and Fife](/source/Mid_Scotland_and_Fife_(Scottish_Parliament_electoral_region)) region since [2007](/source/2007_Scottish_Parliament_election).

## Early life and career

Claire Baker was born on 4 March 1971 in Dunfermline to Margaret (*née* Edgar) and James Brennan.[1] She grew up in [Kelty](/source/Kelty), and attended primary and secondary schools in [Fife](/source/Fife).[2] She studied for an MA (Hons) in English Language and Literature at the [University of Edinburgh](/source/University_of_Edinburgh) and in 1997 was awarded a PhD from the [University of Glasgow](/source/University_of_Glasgow).[1]

## Career

Baker worked in a variety of research and policy posts. This included working as a Research Officer for the [Scottish Parliamentary Labour Group](/source/Scottish_Parliamentary_Labour_Group) from 1999 to 2002, Research Officer for the trade union [Amicus](/source/Unite_the_Union) from 2002 to 2004, and as Research and Information Manager at the [Royal College of Nursing](/source/Royal_College_of_Nursing), Scotland from 2004 to 2005. Immediately prior to being elected to the Scottish Parliament, she was Policy Manager for the [Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations](/source/Scottish_Council_for_Voluntary_Organisations), the umbrella body for charities and community and voluntary organisations in Scotland.[1]

In May 2007 she was elected for the [Mid Scotland and Fife](/source/Mid_Scotland_and_Fife_(Scottish_Parliament_electoral_region)) region.

In the [2011 election](/source/2011_Scottish_Parliament_election), Baker contested the seat of [Mid Fife and Glenrothes](/source/Mid_Fife_and_Glenrothes_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)) but lost to the SNP's [Tricia Marwick](/source/Tricia_Marwick), who subsequently resigned from the SNP to become the Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer. However, she was successfully returned to the Scottish Parliament as 2nd on Labour's [Mid Scotland and Fife](/source/Mid_Scotland_and_Fife_(Scottish_Parliament_electoral_region)) regional list.

In the [Holyrood election](/source/2016_Scottish_Parliament_election) of 2016, Baker unsuccessfully stood in the [Kirkcaldy](/source/Kirkcaldy_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)) constituency and was defeated by [David Torrance](/source/David_Torrance_(politician)) of the [Scottish National Party](/source/Scottish_National_Party), suffering a swing against Labour of 15.8%. She was subsequently returned to the Scottish Parliament as a member for Mid Scotland and Fife on the regional list as Labour's 2nd place candidate.

At the [2021 Scottish Parliament election](/source/2021_Scottish_Parliament_election) Baker was supported as a [Labour Co-operative](/source/Labour_Co-operative) candidate for the first time.[3] She contested the constituency seat of [Kirkcaldy](/source/Kirkcaldy_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)) but was returned to Parliament as a regional list member for [Mid Scotland and Fife](/source/Mid_Scotland_and_Fife_(Scottish_Parliament_electoral_region)) again.

In 2011 she was Labour's Shadow Minister for Education in the Scottish Parliament[4][5] and the Deputy Convener of the Education and Culture Committee. She later served on the Scottish Labour front bench as spokesperson for Rural Affairs and Environment (2011–2014),[6] Culture, Europe and External Affairs (2014–2015),[7] and Democracy (covering "constitution, Europe, culture and power in society") (2015–2016).[8] Having served as Scottish Labour's spokesperson on Justice, Baker is currently Shadow Secretary for Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs.[9]

Baker nominated [Anas Sarwar](/source/Anas_Sarwar) in the [2021 Scottish Labour leadership election](/source/2021_Scottish_Labour_leadership_election).[10]

Baker backed the UK Government’s decision to introduce means-testing for the Winter Fuel Payment, voting in the Scottish Parliament against calls to reverse the decision.[11]

She was re-elected list MSP in the [2026 Scottish Parliament election](/source/2026_Scottish_Parliament_election).[12]

## Personal life

In 2004 she married [Richard Baker](/source/Richard_Baker_(Scottish_politician)),[1][13] who was formerly an [MSP](/source/Member_of_the_Scottish_Parliament) for [North East Scotland](/source/North_East_Scotland_(Scottish_Parliament_electoral_region)).[14] The couple have one daughter.[1] In 1998, Baker published a *Critical Guide to the Poetry of Sylvia Plath*.[1]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-:0_1-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-:0_1-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-:0_1-5) [*Who's the who*](http://www.ukwhoswho.com.connect.nls.uk/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U246707/BAKER_Claire_Josephine) (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2017.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Baker, Claire. ["Biography – Claire Baker, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife"](http://www.clairebaker.org/index.php?id=60). Retrieved 7 May 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Introducing your Scottish Parliament candidate"](https://party.coop/scottish-parliament-2021). [Co-operative Party](/source/Co-operative_Party). Retrieved 16 July 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Scottish Labour unveils front bench team](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-13472582), BBC News, 20 May 2011

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Higher Education and the most expensive degree in the UK – a contradiction too far?](http://labourhame.com/free-higher-education-and-the-most-expensive-degree-in-the-uk-%E2%80%93-a-contradiction-too-far/), Labour Hame, 9 September 2011

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [Johann Lamont hands finance role to rival Ken Mackintosh](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-16241779), BBC News, 19 December 2011

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [Scottish Labour reshuffle sees allies and rivals alike on Holyrood front bench](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/16/scottish-labour-jim-murphy-reshuffle), The Guardian, 16 December 2014

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** [Kezia Dugdale unveils Scottish Labour front bench team](https://www.holyrood.com/articles/news/kezia-dugdale-unveils-scottish-labour-front-bench-team), Holyrood, 19 August 2015

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["About Claire | Claire Baker MSP"](http://www.clairebaker.org/?page_id=109).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Scottish Leadership Election 2021 – Nominations"](http://scottishlabour.org.uk/people/2021-leadership-election/nominations/). *Scottish Labour*. Retrieved 26 January 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** ["How every MSP voted as Holyrood rejected the UK's Winter Fuel Payment cut"](https://www.thenational.scot/news/24639083.winter-fuel-payment-cuts-full-list-labour-msps-oppose/). *The National*. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** ["Mid Scotland and Fife regional MSPs announced in Scottish elections – see full list"](https://www.thenational.scot/news/26091656.scottish-election-mid-scotland-fife-regional-list-msps/). *The National*. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 10 May 2026.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [MSPs at their best for ceremony](https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/6638173.stm), BBC News, 9 May 2007

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** [*Who's who*](http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/U2000288) (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. 2017.[*[permanent dead link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Link_rot)*]

## External links

- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: [Claire Baker](https://www.parliament.scot/msps/current-and-previous-msps/claire-baker)

- [Claire Baker MSP](http://www.clairebaker.org/) Personal website

v t e Members of the Scottish Parliament in the Mid Scotland and Fife region Elected in the 2026 election Constituency MSPs Keith Brown (SNP, Clackmannanshire and Dunblane) David Barratt (SNP, Cowdenbeath) Shirley-Anne Somerville (SNP, Dunfermline) Willie Rennie (Lib Dem, Fife North East) David Torrance (SNP, Kirkcaldy) Jenny Gilruth (SNP, Mid Fife and Glenrothes) John Swinney (SNP, Perthshire North) Jim Fairlie (SNP, Perthshire South and Kinross-shire) Alyn Smith (SNP, Stirling) Additional members Claire Baker (Lab) Murdo Fraser (Con) Stephen Kerr (Con) Joe Long (Lab) Julie MacDougall (Ref) Helen McDade (Ref) Mark Ruskell (Green) SNP (8 seats), Conservative (2 seats), Labour (2 seats), Reform UK (2 seats), Liberal Democrats (1 seat); Greens (1 seat)

v t e Scottish Labour Leaders Donald Dewar (1998–2000) Henry McLeish (2000–2001) Jack McConnell (2001–2007) Wendy Alexander (2007–2008) Iain Gray (2008–2011) Johann Lamont (2011–2014) Jim Murphy (2014–2015) Kezia Dugdale (2015–2017) Richard Leonard (2017–2021) Anas Sarwar (2021–present) Deputy leaders Henry McLeish (1999–2000) Cathy Jamieson (2000–2008) Johann Lamont (2008–2011) Anas Sarwar (2011–2014) Kezia Dugdale (2014–2015) Alex Rowley (2015–2017) Lesley Laird (2017–2019) Jackie Baillie (2020–present) General secretaries Ben Shaw (1914–1931) Arthur Woodburn (1932–1939) John Taylor (1939–1951) Willie Marshall (1951–1977) Helen Liddell (1977–1988) Murray Elder (1988–1992) Jack McConnell (1992–1998) Alex Rowley (1998–1999) Lesley Quinn (1999–2008) Colin Smyth (2008–2013) Ian Price (2013–2014) Brian Roy (2014–2019) Michael Sharpe (2019–2020) Drew Smith (2020–2021) James Kelly (2021–2023) John Paul McHugh (2023–present) Current MSPs Irshad Ahmed Jackie Baillie Claire Baker Neil Bibby Baroness Clark of Kilwinning Joe Fagan Mark Griffin Daniel Johnson Joe Long Donald MacKinnon Michael Marra Pauline McNeill Carol Mochan Katherine Sangster Anas Sarwar Paul Sweeney Jenny Young Current MPs Zubir Ahmed Douglas Alexander Scott Arthur Johanna Baxter Maureen Burke Irene Campbell Torcuil Crichton Graeme Downie Patricia Ferguson Alan Gemmell Tracy Gilbert John Grady Lillian Jones Chris Kane Douglas McAllister Martin McCluskey Blair McDougall Gordon McKee Frank McNally Kirsty McNeill Chris Murray Ian Murray Katrina Murray Pamela Nash Gregor Poynton Martin Rhodes Michael Shanks Euan Stainbank Kenneth Stevenson Elaine Stewart Kirsteen Sullivan Alison Taylor Imogen Walker Melanie Ward Organisation Scottish Executive Committee Scottish Labour Conference Scottish Policy Forum Scottish Labour Students Scottish Young Labour Campaign for Socialism Scottish governments Dewar (1999–2000) McLeish (2000–2001) 1st McConnell (2001–2003) 2nd McConnell (2003–2007) Leadership elections 1998 Dewar 2000 McLeish 2001 McConnell 2007 Alexander 2008 Gray 2011 Lamont 2014 Murphy 2015 Dugdale 2017 Leonard 2021 Sarwar Deputy leadership elections 2000 Jamieson 2008 Lamont 2011 Sarwar 2014 Dugdale 2015 Rowley 2018 Laird 2020 Baillie

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Claire Baker](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Baker) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claire_Baker?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.